We were lucky to catch up with Barry Walton recently and have shared our conversation below.

Barry, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear the story of how you went from this being just an idea to making it into something real.

I launched Endless Media in 2017. It was a leap of faith and a journey into the unknown. Clichés aside, it was the toughest thing I’ve ever done. The idea was something I had long held onto—a desire to test my competence, take risks, and lead my own projects. After years of working in corporate culture, I decided it was time to make the jump and if I had to do it over again, I would have prepared more.

Fulfilling a much-needed dream to start the company felt amazing, but after the honeymoon, it became clear that I fell short in creating a proper business plan, budgeting for the necessary costs, building strong contacts with potential clients, and finding a team to support and execute my vision. Failing to do this put me at great risk of failing. I drained my bank accounts in the first year and was in desperate need of monthly new work just to survive. For the first five years, it was very much hand-to-mouth. There were months that I stayed awake, sitting on my living room floor, wondering if I’d have enough to cover the mortgage.

Now, eight years later, I look back at the stress I created for myself and wish I’d had someone to advise me to slow down and build a clear business plan with a path to success before leaving my job. Had I done that, life would have been much easier. However, what I did have was something few business owners possess: fortitude. I stuck with it, and today, I am proud to have built a strong company that reflects my vision and hard work.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

At heart, I am a storyteller and a lover of the human experience. I find it fascinating to capture the natural moments in the lives of professional athletes—the unique gaps that humanize them while also setting them apart. This passion has earned me an Emmy Award and recognition at prestigious film festivals and events around the world. It has taken me to film in far-off places like the Himalayas and at the highest levels of professional sports. That love is what gave birth to my company, Endless Media. When I launched the company, my vision was to capture stories that elevate the human experience and inspire people to do more. I never imagined that I would collaborate with professional and semi-professional athletes, connecting their achievements and lifestyles with brands to share with the world.

One of the projects I’m most proud of is my recent work documenting Olympic athlete Jake Vedder’s journey to the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy. Following him through his training in New Hampshire and on the hills of Michigan, where he got his start, has been one of the biggest thrills of my life. Seeing his story—and stories like his—come to life is incredibly rewarding. The work involves struggle, passion, and hard work, but it’s all worth it when I get to watch the final product shared with millions of viewers.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

In 2011, while filming in the Himalayas of India for my documentary The High: Making the Toughest Race on Earth, I lost my entire production crew, and it seemed like all hope was lost. My crew of four people with two cameras dwindled down to just me. I was left alone, trying to capture runners covering 133 miles on foot, and I felt completely overwhelmed. There was no way I could do the story justice, and everything inside me told me to quit.

It was at that moment, though, that I realized every dream and vision requires crossing an abyss—a point of no return where you must traverse into the unknown. In this place, you are forced to put everything you believe on the line: either move forward or throw in the towel. I chose to move forward, and ironically, the story took a much better turn.

Twelve months later, in 2012, I returned to film the rest of the story, which became the film The High (on Prime). That experience changed how I approached all projects, goals, and obstacles ever since.

To get the full story, read Barry Walton’s memoir, The Unknown Adventurer (available on Amazon).

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

The biggest lesson I’ve had to unlearn is the belief that I know it all—or that I have achieved superiority over my peers.

Somewhere in my thirties, while shooting television shows for NatGeo and Animal Planet, my ego reached an all-time high. I had developed a sense of superiority. After all, I’d earned it, right? Not just anyone could go out and produce shows for national television or consistently perform at such an elite level. Clearly, I was special—or so I thought.

The truth is, this mindset stalled my learning. Seeing yourself as superior shuts your mind off to growth. The belief that you know more than others overlooks a simple fact: there is always more to learn, often from the least expected places. Hence the cliché, “Out of the mouths of babes,” which reminds us that wisdom and insight can come from even the most unlikely sources.

In the end, I was humbled. To this day, I remind myself that there is always something new to learn—and I strive to remain open to it.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.endlessmedia1.com/theunknownadventurer
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/endless_media_me/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WaltonBarry
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/barry-g-walton/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCA3q2CEGwwmqaxoYOzVrC1A?view_as=subscriber

Image Credits

All rights, Endless Media LLC